Container handling device

ABSTRACT

A container handling device adapted to be held in one hand for placement over a plurality of side-by-side positioned containers and also operable by the hand for gripping the containers such that the device and containers can be lifted in unison.

United States Patent Nies Oct. 7, 1975 CONTAINER HANDLING DEVICE2,401,578 6/1946 Miller 294/872 2,409,357 10 1946 Jackson 294/8712 [7,61Inventor: 3465 9 2,454,178 11/1948 Howell 294/8726 Santa Clara, Callfi95051 2,592,017 4/1952 Engstrom 294/8726 2,597,128 5/1952 Reinking294/8726 [22] June 1974 2,597,181 5/1952 Reinking 294/8726 21 Appl. No.:477,038

Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk 52 11.8. C1 294/872; 206/150; 224/45 AA;Assistant Examiner-Johnny Cherry 294/8726 Attorney, Agent, or FirmGeraldL. Moore 51 1111.131. B651) 71/00 [58] Field 61 Search 294/87 R, 87.2,87.22, [57] ABSTRACT 294/8724, 87.26, 87.28; 206/139, 142, 143, 150,151, 224/45 A, 45 AA, 45 AB 45 A container handlmg devlce adapted to beheld 1n one,

BA hand for placement over a plurality of side-by-side po- I sitionedcontainers and also operable by the hand for 5 References Cited grippingthe containers such that the device and con- UNITED STATES PATENTStainers can be lifted in unison.

2,133,877 10/1938 Stevenson 294/8726 1 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures Sheet 1of 2 U.S. Patfint Oct. 7,1975 Sheet2 01 2 3,910,622

CONTAINER HANDLING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Normally suchcontainers as bottles which are transported in cases, generallytwenty-four to a case, must be loaded into or taken from the case byhand whereby each bottle is individually handled. Such an operation canbe time consuming. If an attempt is made to grasp more than onecontainer by one hand there always exists the danger of causing thecontainers to come together or otherwise breaking or dropping acontainer. It is the primary object of this invention to enable thegrasping and handling of a plurality of containers in unison and withrelative ease.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A container handling device comprising ahousing having gripping means on the bottom thereof adapted to receiveand operable to grip a plurality of containers positioned inside-by-side order, with the housing also including on the top a handleadapted to be grasped by the hand and having an associated leveroperable also by the same hand for causing the gripping means to gripthe containers and thereby allow the lifting in unison of the device andplurality of containers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG 1 is a perspective view of the handlingdevice and containers showing the manner of manipulation by the hand;

FIG. 2 is a side plan view partially in cross section of the handlingdevice;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the device with the handle and top coverremoved; and

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3 butshowing the device in partially exploded form.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In FIG. 1 is shown the invention in theform of the device which is adapted to be grasped by the hand 11 for thelifting of a plurality of containers 12 positioned in side-by-siderelationship in a container or case 14. The normal manner of operatingthe device is to grip the handle 15 extending from the top surface ofthe housing 16 such that the fingers fit between the handle and thehousing top surface 17 so that a lifting force can be imparted thereon.The thumb also extends around and under the handle 15 to rest against alever 18A slidably mounted within the housing and extending through anopening 19 in the top cover 17 thereof. The slide primarily is held inposition by the extending arms 18C passing through the slots 19 in thetop cover. The top cover 17 is fixed to the housing by screws 20 and thehandle 18A also is mounted on the slide 18 by screws 21.

With the top cover 17 and handle 18A removed as shown in FIG. 3 it canbe seen that the housing bottom 22 includes a plurality of openings 24for receiving the tops of the aligned containers. These openings arepositioned in accordance with the size and grouping relationship of thecontainers to be handled.

For gripping the container tops there is provided a pair of cables 25Aand 258 which are fixed at one end of the housing by passage throughopenings 26A and 26B therein and knotted at the end or otherwise tied tothe housing. These cables extend down one side of the cooperatingopenings 24 and around a pair of end posts 27A and 27B to thereafterpass back past the other side of the openings and around another endpost 28A and 288, respectively, for attachment to the slide body 18.Each cable is positioned by the associated posts so as to pass across asmall portion or chord of the opening 24 in a manner to extend aroundand grip the container top represented by the dotted outline 12A (seeFIG. 3).

The cables preferably press against the container neck below thecontainer cap or closure. However, norinally the cable is in thenon-gripping position because of being biased in that position by aplurality of springs 29 which extend between posts 30 and the cableswithin the housing. For attachment to the cables, it is preferable thatthe cable be passed through the looped spring end 31 to permit somelengthwise movement of the cable relative to the spring. A plurality ofguide posts 32 are positioned between the openings. Thus, it can be seenthat by pulling the cables taut, the cables are caused to pass across aportion of the opening for gripping the container top.

For pulling the cable the slide 18 is movable within the housing in thedirection of the arrow 34 and operable by the thumb pressing against thelever 18A. Thus when the lever is operated to the container grippingposition, the cable is pulled taut to the shadow line 25C for graspingthe container tops and permit lifting of the containers in unison. Thecables are fixed to the lever by use of a plurality of screws 35threaded into the slide body in a manner to press against the cablewhich is passed through the center opening 36 in the slide body.Additionally, an elongated groove 37 can be included in the devicebottom 22 for use if the containers are held in a carton. This groovenormally will permit the carton handle to clear the device bottomsufficiently to permit the container tops to pass into the openings 24sufficiently to be gripped by the gripping means.

In the manner described there is provided a simple and effective devicefor handling a plurality of containers in unison which device can beoperated and lifted by one hand.

While the invention has been described in connection with specificembodiments thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of furthermodification, and this application is intended to cover any variations,uses or adaptations of the invention following, in general, theprinciples of the invention and including such departures from thepresent disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the artto which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essentialfeatures hereinbefore set forth, and as fall within the scope of theinvention and the limits of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A container handling device comprising:

a housing;

gripping means on the housing bottom adapted to receive and operable togrip a plurality of container tops positioned in side-by-side order,said gripping means including a plurality of openings in the housingbottom adapted to receive the container tops;

a handle fixed to the housing and adapted to be grasped by a hand;

lever means positioned immediateley adjacent to the handle and operableby the fingers of the hand grasping the handle for operating thegripping means;

said gripping means comprising a plurality of openopening from each sideand thereby tightened lngs'in the housing bottom adapted to receive thearound to grasp the container tops therein when container tops withmeans for gripping the conthe lever means is Operated; and

tainer tops positioned within the housing comprismeans for springloading the cable and lever to a noning a cable supported ad acent thecontamer tops and threaded within said housing so as to extend gnppmgposmon whereby sa ld devlce can down two sides of each opening with thecable Placed Over a plurality of contamel's and Operated being springbiased away from the opening and by hand to lift a plurality ofcontainers in unison. adapted to be pulled tight and pressed towards the

1. A container handling device comprising: a housing; gripping means onthe housing bottom adapted to receive and operable to grip a pluralityof container tops positioned in side-by-side order, said gripping meansincluding a plurality of openings in the housing bottom adapted toreceive the container tops; a handle fixed to the housing and adapted tobe grasped by a hand; lever means positioned immediateley adjacent tothe handle and operable by the fingers of the hand grasping the handlefor operating the gripping means; said gripping means comprising aplurality of openings in the housing bottom adapted to receive thecontainer tops with means for gripping the container tops positionedwithin the housing comprising a cable supported adjacent the containertops and threaded within said housing so as to extend down two sides ofeach opening with the cable being spring biased away from the openingand adapted to be pulled tight and pressed towards the opening from eachside and thereby tightened around to grasp the container tops thereinwhen the lever means is operated; and means for spring loading the cableand lever to a non-grippIng position, whereby said device can be placedover a plurality of containers and operated by hand to lift a pluralityof containers in unison.